It says proposals to sign contracts with private sector partners, which could be worth up to £1.5 billion, are simply about providing a better service to the public in the West Midlands (and in Surrey, where the force is also part of the plans).

The idea, staunchly opposed by trade unions, has been put on ice until a new Police and Crime Commissioner is elected in November.

Perhaps that’s code for saying it’s been quietly cancelled, because there’s a good chance a Commissioner will simply refuse to press ahead with the policy. But officially at least police are still planning to do a deal. And officially they still have a shortlist of six potential partners – including the likes of BT, IBM and, yes, G4S.

MPs such as Khalid Mahmood (Lab Perry Barr) have insisted the force end negotiations with G4S as a result of the Olympic fiasco.

But West Midlands Police tell me nothing has changed since that shortlist was published.

* PERHAPS the police force’s continued enthusiasm for the plans reflects the view of the Home Secretary Theresa May, who backs the business partnering idea.

She confirmed this again in the Commons this week, when Birmingham MP Jack Dromey (Lab Erdington) asked her: “The public have confidence in our police service but no confidence in G4S, yet the Home Secretary has spent £4 million promoting privatisation of essential police services, the principal beneficiary of which would be G4S. In light of the Olympics debacle, will she now abandon her reckless plans?”

Mrs May insisted: “It is not a reckless plan for police forces to look to ensure that they make the best use of their budgets, so that they can put as much money as possible not into back-office functions, but into getting police out on the streets.”

* IT was a pleasure to see David Cameron and Nick Clegg in the West Midlands this week. Mr Cameron told a press conference in Smethwick that the Conservative Coalition with the Lib Dems would last until the next election. The fact that he had to say it, however, reflects the pressure he is under from some of his backbenchers to arrange a divorce from the Lib Dems.